Soulmate Seize: OFF HIATUS! New Chapter Shortly!
by The Happiness
Summary: When Ellen finds her soulmate, he's already in love with someone else! This story is about the lengths that Ellen goes to fight for her love.. but will she care if the farmer loses hers in the process? Find out inside... MC x Carl; Ellen x Carl, MC x Jaime Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or landscapes in this fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1: Passion

Hi guys! So, a little bit more about the story. This story is set in the world of Magical Melody, simply because I've noticed the characters themselves are much more built personality wise. Just imagine the artwork for ToT style and you'll be fine. :P I'll be walking through character development in the first few chapters, so even if you haven't played the game, you should be able to love (or hate) the characters that you choose.

This story is a tale of Love and Loss. When Ellen finds her soulmate, he's already in love... with the farmer! This story is about the lengths that Ellen goes to fight for her love.. but will she care if the farmer loses hers in the process? Find out inside...

* * *

><p>It had been nine months since Carl and Carly had met for the first time. He had knocked on her door asking for eggs for the egg festival. Carly said yes, and the pair had been inseparable since. It was hard for the two at first, only seeing each other every Tuesday, but Carl was sure that with enough money and a friend like Carly to help him through with the dairy products and encouragement, he could see his Cafe up and running by the fall. Every Tuesday, Carly walked with Carl around the town, talking about hopes and dreams. At the end, Carly would always give Carl one of the best eggs from her chickens that week. Slowly but surely, the two began to realize that their friendship was no ordinary one.<p>

Once the Moonlight Bar was in town, Carl immediately claimed a job as a jack of all trades. Usually, Carl didn't like being around so many of the toughest guys in town, but when Carly came in every night around 7 or 8, he instantly forgot about his inadequate existence and focused on serving and talking to her. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about. She would talk about her day, and Carl would talk about his baking. They were both interested in what happened on the other side of the products they made. Now that Carl was moved into the town permanently, he was also to bake. Carly generously provided her kitchen whenever he wanted it, and they would often cook together and enjoy the results of a job well done.

Surely enough, at the beginning of fall, Carl had raised all of his money and was more than encouraged to start Halloway Cafe. He invited Carly in first, and she was able to marvel at all that he had accomplished. The restaurant hadn't even started, but she knew that it would be a success. Her dear friend was about to live his dream, and she couldn't have been more proud. Carl was proud of himself when he opened the Cafe for the first time. But, as Carly left and other townspeople started filtering in, Carl felt... alone. He started to realize that ever since the Spring when the friendship was forged, he didn't really want to bake cakes for everyone... just for her. So, Carl had a new goal. He would make the most fantastic cake in the world. It would be a cake so delicious that when Carly ate it, all other cakes wouldn't hold a candle to it for the rest of her life. He would name it after her, and then, he would ask her to marry him. This would be in the future, after his baking skills improved and he had enough money to experiment with cake and Carly's tastes frequently. But, he was sure that if only one person could eat what he cooked for the rest of his life, it would be her.

Ellen wiped the sweat off of her face and she put another load of mayonnaise into the shipping box. Farming was tiring, but she helped out with the coop because Bob was always finding metal in the caves to do upgrades to the farm, and Blue took care of the Cows, Sheep, and Cliffguard the prized horse. Papa Hank took care of the store, and Ellen knew that while her life wasn't exactly extraordinary, she was a lucky girl to have the family she had. Her one stress reliever was baking.

Ellen took out the flour, cocoa, sugar, and baking powder and mixed it together. She focused on the perfect proportions, adding the flavors of her day. Bitter chestnut honey brought it all together, and with just the right amount of flavorless water, Ellen knew that these cookies would be bittersweet echoes of her life. The mixing didn't take long, and the cookies only took ten minutes in the oven. Ellen set them on a cooling rack and sighed, taking one while it was still warm. The bittersweet flavor made for a delicious cookie, but Ellen still sighed. Compared to a real baker, these cookies would taste like they had a lack of passion. She couldn't complain. The amount of passion in her life was a 0 on a scale from 1-10. She hadn't found anything to fight for. She never saw anything and wanted it more than what she had. She had comfort and stability, but no passion.

"Ellen," her father called, "Go ahead and take the rest of the day off! I heard that new Cafe just opened up!" Hank's head peeked around the corner, "Why don't you bring some of your cookies as a business-warming present?" Ellen smiled and nodded. Hank went back to the counter and Ellen's smile disappeared. Had she really been so busy that she'd forgotten about the Cafe opening? Well, she was sure a world famous Patissier wouldn't suddenly move to this hodunk town, so bringing her cookies as a present probably wouldn't cause too much of a stir up. Ellen gathered her cookies into a bowl and waved goodbye to her father as she left the Ranch.

The air was crisp and alight with the colors and smells of Autumn. Ellen walked down the pathway with a blue shawl around her shoulders. The lack of activity in the town had made her grow old prematurely, though, nobody ever caught her eye in such a way that inspired her to change her pixie haircut and old-fashioned dress. Ellen passed by the junk shop, tsking at the amount of weeds in their yard. Surely Ann could do something like that once in awhile. Ellen took care of the chickens and cooked for the crew. She wondered if Ann did much of anything besides play in the mine and tinker with machines. Ellen walked down the pathway and saw the back of the cafe. Carly came running up the road like she always did.

"Hi Ellen!" Carly said with a grin, "Are you going to the Cafe?" Ellen smiled in reply. "I am," Ellen said, gesturing to her cookies, "my business-warming duties await me." Carly laughed and Ellen gave a genuine smile. The pig-tailed farmer was hard not to like. She was genuine in all that she did. She even brought by some of the richest Cocoa in the country if she had spare time. If Ellen was friends with any of the women in this town, Carly would come the closest to the definition. "Alright," Carly said, "I have to put my animals in. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. But, have fun!" Carly said. She waved goodbye as she left, and Ellen waved back. Yes, if she had a friend, it was her.

Ellen walked swiftly the rest of the way to the cafe, the sky starting to cloud over. She opened the door and walked inside to be smacked with one of the most delicious smells in the world. Her mouth watered, and her body was drawn to the warmth of the professional oven like a moth to a flame. Ellen closed the door behind her and looked around. Lyla, Nina, and Liz were seated at a table with their sweets. Gina and Martha were having a discussion about Dia over a delicious looking piece of shortcake. Even Joe was inside, but Ellen suspected that was because he wanted to check out the new girl who looked about 16 years old. Ellen didn't care to know her name quite yet.

"Hi! I'm Katie!" The girl said. Ellen inwardly sighed and then put on a surefooted smile. "I'm Ellen," Ellen said reaching out her hand. Katie shook it vigorously and then led her to the counter. "Carl should be out in a minute. He's giving free treats today." Katie smiled and then walked back over to Joe to finish their conversation. She would do well in this village. Ellen sat on a stool at the front and waited. She set her cookies on the counter and let her mind wander. What did she want in life? It wasn't even five minutes before she found out.

"Wow," Carl said, "These cookies are great! I love the bitter chestnut. But, maybe next time you should be happier before you bake them. They weren't mixed as well as they should have been." Ellen sat up and blinked. Carl stood in front of her, elbow on the counter. He put down her cookie and set a piece of Honey Cake in front of her. "I hope that will brighten your day a little." Carl laughed and then took his cookie back to the kitchen.

Ellen was frozen in place. Was love at first sight possible? Ellen shook her head. "No... Let's just eat." Ellen whispered to herself. She picked up her dessert fork and took a small piece of her honey cake. Her pallet was sensitive, so she would know exactly how he felt when he was baking, too. Ellen put the piece of cake in her mouth. The fork dropped from her hand onto the counter. Ellen forgot to breath for nearly a minute. She gasped and then looked down at the cake. It was the most delicious thing she had tasted. She knew that love at first sight was a myth... but love at first taste was a different story. Just to check, Ellen put a bigger piece in her mouth. She closed her eyes and tried not to moan at its delicious flavor.

She found it. Ellen found what she could be passionate for. The man who brought her this cake, who had cheered her up and encouraged her to be happy when she was baking... There was no doubt that he was her soulmate. There was only one problem. Only a man in love could make a cake so delicious. But, when a woman finds her passion, she is not easily deterred. Ellen finished her cake and grabbed her shawl around her neck. She left the building and felt a drop of rain hit her nose. Ellen looked up to see a giant rain cloud making its way over town. How far would she go? What would she have to do? All she knew is that she would do whatever it took... even if it meant breaking the two apart.

* * *

><p>And that's the end of chapter one! I have this whole thing outlined, so this will be great. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! :)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: To Hatch a Plan

Ellen spent the next few weeks gathering intel and befriending Carl. She was prepared to do the worst. She had spent years living in comfort making safe decisions, but now it was time for her to pursue passion. If she didn't do it now... there might not be a time for her to do it at all. First, she aimed at finding the girl. It wasn't hard to figure out. Whenever she stepped into the Cafe, Carl would stop everything. He would even stop talking mid-sentence and run to the door like some lovesick puppy. It was harder to like Carly day by day. A Patissier of Carl's level should never act so much like a kid. He was suave and passionate... Even though he looked young he didn't need to run to her with his proverbial tail wagging every single time.

After she found out what was going on, she gathered intel on Carly. She invited her over for some tea and found out the things she cherished most. Her animals were on top of the list. The most specific being her chickens. They were easily scared and finicky when it came to loving the owner. Ellen knew this, but Carly seemed to care more about them than she cared about her own. She wondered if Carly's only passion in life was farming. If only it were that simple. One day, Ellen couldn't wait anymore.

"Do you love Carl?" Ellen blurted. She couldn't help herself. "I mean, you two spend a lot of time together. You talk about him a lot." Carly was caught off guard. She blushed and laughed. "Well... he's my best friend and always brings me things to eat when I'm tired. He brought me soup when I sick and he's always so happy to see me... I guess if I could see myself settling down with anyone here, Carl would be the one."

The answer echoed in her head every single day. "If there's anyone, it's Carl..." Ellen muttered to herself, "She's got so many choices, and she chooses the only guy who could bring me any happiness." Ellen yelled and threw a plate of cookies at the wall. "I won't live this way!" Ellen shouted. Hank peeked into the kitchen. Ellen turned around with wrath in her eyes and Hank quietly went back to his place at the counter. Ellen walked to her cookies and picked them off of the floor. She was about to throw them away, but then she put them in a basket and put them in front of Carly's house.

Without remorse, Ellen took a walk around town. What could she do? They were in love with each other, and there was no way that Ellen was going to get Carl to fall in love with anyone else when his eyes darted towards the door constantly just for a glimpse of Carly. But, maybe there was a chance for the farmer to fall in love with someone else. She had only said that she could only see herself settling down with Carl. But, what if another suitor came her way? Ellen started to hatch a plan. Carefully, she put the idea on the incubator of her mind. Soon, the plan would be set in motion. But first, she needed a few things. A suitor, a partner in crime, and an alibi. So, she got to work.

She figured that her partner in crime could also double as a fake suitor... but it would need to be someone who would be willing to hurt Carly later. So, she would wait to see what her options were. In preliminary elimination, Kurt, Joe, and Alex were all no good. They were all too busy with work to be scheming. Besides, Kurt was too quiet, Joe was too nice, and Alex was not the type to participate in nonsense like this. Basil was too into plants and flowers to see anything that didn't grow out of the ground, and Louis was too shy to say anything to the girl. Dan would probably do it, but he would probably ask for money. Ellen had quite the shortage of money because of all of the cake she had purchased from Carl in the past season. He was a little too into himself to be a convincing actor, anyway. That left Ray, who was more likely to start an affair with a fish than a woman. Ellen was out of options... or maybe she wasn't.

Ellen lifted her head and saw she was walking by Jaime's farm. Jaime was short for James, the most competitive and bitter person that this town held. Ellen wondered if it was too much... but she couldn't think of anyone better. Jaime was competitive... probably not above distracting the farmer in the hopes he would do better. She was shipping a lot more than he was these days. If there was a chance that he could be on top again... would he take it? He seemed to be especially bitter towards Carly lately. Nobody knew why, but his bitterness aimed towards the perky farmer bordered on rage after mid-summer. Now... how could she convince him to do it? Certainly, if it was Jaime, he could make Carly fall in love and also participate in the planning. That would make things go smoothly.

Ellen walked over to the purple house and raised her hand to knock on the door. She hesitated. Jaime was a scary guy. Standing at 6'2'' with the bone structure of the most beautiful angel of wrath she had ever seen, Jaime was the kind of guy you didn't communicate with despite the fact he wore pink and purple most of the time. But, Ellen's eyes steeled over and she gave three loud knocks on the door. If she wasn't willing to try soliciting Jamie's help, she would never get Carl to talk to her when Carly was in the room, let alone get him to fall in love with her. The door opened swiftly, the wind making tendril's of Jaime's hair move gracefully along his face. Cowboy hat tilted to the sky, Jaime looked down on Ellen.

"I have an idea that you might just want to hear." Ellen said. Jaime raised an eyebrow, and let her into his house. He closed the door behind her and walked to his kitchen to finish his lunch. The entire house was rugged. Everything was wooden with the exception of his fireplace, which burned brightly in front of his green sofa. It wasn't cozy, but it was all solid and secure. Ellen noticed a picture of the likeness of the Harvest Goddess on the wall, but asked nothing about it. She left the town myths alone. Jaime leaned against his kitchen counter and Ellen sat down at the table.

"So..." Jaime said, "What is it?" Ellen smiled. "I don't think you've ever been in love. I don't even know if you've had a passion for something. But, if you have, you would know that you would do anything that was in your power to accomplish your goal. No matter what the others say, you need to pursue the passion your way, or leave it as it lie. Nobody just leaves the thing that gives them purpose." Ellen paused and then stood up. "You're the only person I could come to. I need a partner in crime. You're the only person I know that could get Carly to fall in love with you just long enough for me to get to Carl." Jaime chewed on his sandwich, amused. Ellen swallowed nervously.

"So..." Jamie sighed, "You want me to get my worst enemy to fall in love with me. You really think she'll go for that?" Ellen gave an exasperated sigh. "Don't you see this is good for you!?" Ellen walked over to Jaime. "If you distract the farmer by making her fall for you, her work will suffer. Without the encouragement of Carl, she'll forget about her rivalry with you and focus more on you! You could be the top dog in town again, and all you would have to do to her directly is throw a smile her way once in awhile. I'll take care of the rest." Jaime finished the last of his sandwich and stood up to his full height. "And what else is in it for me?" Jaime asked. Ellen looked up at Jaime, and took a shot. "You get to make her feel as miserable as you did." Jaime's eyes lit up, the rage coming to life. It had worked.

"Get out," Jaime said, "give me directions by sticking them to the back of your sign. I'll drop by, pick them up, and give replies that way." Ellen nodded and started for the door. "Oh, and Ellen," Jaime called, "You probably want to think very carefully about using my services. They might not get the reaction that you wanted." Ellen's eyes locked with Jaime's for a moment, and then she left without another word.

Ellen spent the next few days communicating secretly with Jaime. Their first part of the UBP (Ultimate Breakup Plan) would initiate on the first snowy day of winter. Winter would be here in three days, and the snow would come soon after. Meanwhile, Ellen sipped some tea in the Cafe and talked to Carl, pushing the plan into the back of her mind. It was much too late for remorse. For now, she would focus only on gaining the love of her soulmate.

"You know, I'm a pretty good cook!" Ellen said, "Maybe you should come over and I can cook breakfast for you!" Carl smiled. "Alright. I'll hold you to it. How does next Tuesday sound?" Carl waited patiently for an answer. Ellen counted the days in her head and smiled. "Carl, that sounds perfect! I'll come to walk you over to my house at 5:30." Carl blinked, "I'm used to 5:30, but isn't that a little early for you?" Ellen shook her head and laughed. "No! I usually make breakfast for the crew around then, so it's no trouble at all!" Carl nodded. "Okay then! I'm looking forward to it." Ellen beamed and hopped down from her stool. "By the way, the cake I tried was delicious. What's it called?" Ellen asked. Carl smiled and looked out the window. "It's called Carly Cake." Carl blushed, "It's not perfect yet, but I think it will be soon." Ellen faltered just a little bit, catching herself on the counter. 'Carly Cake?' Ellen thought, 'This is more serious than I thought. We might have to come up with a better plan.' Ellen turned to Carl with a smile. "Alright! I'll see you next Tuesday morning then!"

Ellen quickly left the shop. Katie stood up from her table and looked over at Carl. Carl looked lovingly down at his cake and took a slice for himself. "You know she likes you, right?" Katie asked Carl. The cafe was empty, so Katie figured she would take the opportunity. Carl looked up at Katie and then looked at the door. "Yeah..." Carl said, "But as friendly as she is... I don't think I could even begin to like her until Carly said she never wanted to see me again. No.. maybe not even then." Katie sighed and sat down at her table again, doing a crossword puzzle that Joe had given her. "Oh! I get it!" Katie laughed, "The message is, 'I like you'!"

Ellen stood on the other side of the Cafe door. She couldn't believe her ears. Not even if Carly said she never wanted to see him again..? Ellen walked to the beach and stood for a long time. Everything that she had bottled up for the past half an hour came pouring out of her. Ellen yelled angrily through her tears, kicking at the ocean and throwing the spiny coral in as if the ocean could feel it slicing through the water. Jaime leaned against the rock and watched her vent her frustration. It was better not to disturb her. Jaime had been thinking of calling of the whole thing. Despite what the villagers seemed to think, he did have a conscience. But, he knew what it was like to be defeated. He knew what it was like to have no other option. He would help her, even if it lasted an entire year. As Ellen screamed at the ocean, Jamie decided that having one friend was better than none at all.


	3. Chapter 3: UBP Go!

Tuesday, Winter 3. The plan was set in motion at 5:00 AM as Ellen was getting ready to cook breakfast for Carl and the crew. She carefully woke up her father with a smile and then set out her ingredients. She preheated the oven and stepped out of the house at 5:12. She made it to the cafe at exactly 5:30. She knocked on the door and waited patiently for Carl to come to the door. It took thirty seconds, but Carl was ready to go. He smiled and offered his arm, and Ellen took it. Together they walked up towards her house. Even if they were arm in arm as friends, Ellen felt like everything was all right in the world. As they turned the corner, Ellen looked towards Jaime's house and gave a nod. Something in the window moved, and Ellen knew that they plan was in motion.

Jaime ran out of his house with the note and silently made his way to Carly's chicken coop. One chicken out of five clucked nervously as Jaime reached out and grabbed it. He dropped the note and ran the chicken to the front of Carly's house. He pounded on Carly's door exactly five times and then hid behind her house. The snow was already falling faster than Jaime had anticipated. He hoped she wouldn't go to great lengths to find all of her chickens. Some of them she wouldn't find, and he didn't want to have to save her. This part of the UBP was just to distract Carl long enough for him to find Ellen a more supportive friend than Carly.

Carly yawned and stretched as she heard the loud knocks at her door. She hadn't ordered any buildings lately. Still in her pajamas, Carly slipped her snow shoes on and opened the door. Carly gasped as she saw Ion, her third chicken, clucking coldly in front of her door. Carly picked up her chicken and ran it back to her coop. Carly collapsed when she saw that all of her chickens were gone. She scrambled for the piece of paper and started to cry. Who would do this? Carly read it out loud in a shaky voice.

"By the time you read this, your chickens are cold. Can you find them before they freeze? It's been a long time since this village had fried chicken." Carly wiped her tears away and stood up shakily. "One's floating all alone, another one the farthest away from home. One is afraid, as high as the sky, the other one is ten floors down in the mine." Carly ran out of the coop and looked around frantically. She ran across town, trying to find her first chicken. She thought she could be in the pond, or maybe in the lake. She would check the pond first.

Ellen watched as Carl enjoyed her veggie omelette. "It's hot in here," Ellen said happily, "I'm going to go outside for a minute." Carl nodded happily and Ellen walked outside. She saw a note on the back of her sign. She walked over and read it. 'The hunt begins...' Ellen thought to herself. She smiled and walked inside. This was perfect. Even if anybody suspected her of something, the person Carly trusted most was her alibi. Ellen sat down across from Carl. "It's pretty chilly." Ellen said with a laugh. Carl nodded. "This omelette warmed me right up, though!" Carl said excitedly, "You're really good at this!" Ellen blushed. "You think so?" Ellen questioned, "My Dad and my cousin have to put up with it every day." Carl shook his head. "I would love to eat this every day." Ellen smiled. "Well, why don't you stay for lunch then? I have something special planned." Carl looked outside. It was still snowing heavily. He nodded. "Sounds good! I don't want to venture out there anytime soon."

Jaime ventured into his chicken coop. There were six chickens inside. Jaime sighed and calmed down one of Carly's missing chickens with some feed. It was still nervous, but Jaime didn't want to purposely make any chicken sick. She could find the other three in time, and then go check for the fourth one. Jaime wondered how many chickens she had found. It was ten o'clock now. Jaime walked off of his farm and making sure nobody was around, peeked into her chicken coop. There were three chickens... that meant she would have to find one more and then try to scale the mountain. But, she wouldn't try to climb in this weather. That was when Jaime would intercept and say he had heard a chicken while going to visit the Goddess. He had taken it down to his coop. Then she would be able to go back inside. Jaime quickly walked over to Ellen's house and knocked on the door. Hank answered.

"J-jaime! What brings you here?" Hank questioned. Jaime gave a smirk. "You have all your chickens, don't you? I found one wandering on the mountain this morning." Hank shook his head. "All of our chickens are in nestled up in the coop! It's no kind of weather to be letting your chickens out." Jaime nodded. "It must be Carly's, then." Jaime turned around and started walking towards his house. Carly ran by at the speed of life. Judging by the smudges on her face and pajamas, she had just retrieved her chicken from the mine. Now was his chance to tell her about the chicken. But, something held him back. Seeing her determined face and knowing that she had already found four of her chickens in just a few hours made him hold back. He remembered how she had saved the Goddess with no emotional investment, how he had tried for years to find a way and she had waken her in a matter of months.

Carly headed for the mountain and Jaime just watched. She would scale the mountain... and he would make sure that she knew what failure felt like. Jaime felt the bitterness in his heart like he had never felt it before. She would scale the mountain. She would fall, and nobody would be there to catch her. Jaime didn't owe her that kindness. He walked back to his house and slammed the door behind him, sitting in front of his roaring fireplace. It warmed his bones, but seemed only to kindle his anger. Jaime clenched his fists. He refused to go up. Jaime laid down on his couch and crossed his arms. Slowly but surely, he willed himself to sleep.

The snow was lightening up by the time Carl had finished lunch. "Wow, today was great." Carl said with a jolly laugh, "I'm glad you invited me over!" Ellen blushed. "It's no problem. I thought you probably hadn't had a break from cooking since you started the cafe." Carl smiled. "Actually, usually Carly comes over on Tuesdays and cooks supper." Ellen sobered up quickly, but quickly put a smile on. "Really?" Ellen asked, "I guess you two are pretty great friends, huh?" Carl blushed. "Yeah... I like her a lot." Carl smiled and waved goodbye, "It was really great! I hope you have a good rest of the day. I think I'll go see what Carly's up to." Ellen half-heartedly waved goodbye and then closed the door. She clenched her fists and walked to the kitchen. He had the audacity to say that he liked another girl right in front of her face?

Ellen breathed heavily and grabbed the edge of her counter top. It hurt. She was trying her best. But, maybe she wasn't trying hard enough. Ellen walked outside and was about to talk to Jaime when she saw a note on the back of her sign. 'She went up the mountain. I'm not going after her.' Ellen looked up and saw Carly's legs disappearing into the cloud that blocked the top of the mountain from sight. Normally, she would have been concerned, but as she watched Carl turn to knock on Carly's door, she crumpled the note and walked back into her house.

Carl knocked on Carly's door. There was no answer. It was odd, but he knew that Carly liked to sleep in on snowy days. She might have gotten a late start on her chores. He shrugged his shoulders and headed back to the cafe. He knew she would probably come to the cafe around 4:30. Maybe he would cook for her this time. It would only be fair, since Ellen had cooked for him for most of the day. Carl smiled and started thinking about what he would make. Maybe he would have her taste test the Carly Cake. If there was no way to make it better, he might even propose. But, maybe it wasn't time for that quite yet. He didn't know how much Carly liked him... was it enough to want to marry him?

Carly started to climb the mountain. It was slippery. She was up only five feet when she fell the first time. But, knowing that Duck was up there, probably freezing and scared, motivated her to keep going. She didn't fall anymore when she passed twenty feet. But with forty feet left to go and rocks careening past her faster than she could see through the snow, it would be a miracle if she made it to the top without splitting her head open. Carly's hand slipped one more time, a rock zooming past where she had been before she regained her grip and pushed forward to the top. She was tired. The snow was so heavy she couldn't see the edge of the mountain.

"Duck!" Carly cried, "Duck, where are you?" Carly looked around, kicking the snow with her feet. She saw no sign of Duck. Carly sank to her knees and started to cry. She had done everything to try to find her chickens. There was no way that the clue on the paper meant anywhere else but here. Carly took the sheet out of her pocket, but it was soaked through. The writing blurred on the paper and she couldn't read it. It was cold up here, and she was still in her pajamas. Carly knew that she couldn't stay up here for long. She was sure that wherever Duck had gone, she had never been up here. Carly wiped away her tears and looked down the mountain. It was a long way down. Carly assumed the position and slipped back over the edge of the mountain, making sure she had a firm grip.

She managed to make it thirty feet down before the rock she was standing on crumbled beneath her feet. She was hanging by her fingertips, but the grip was icy. Her fingers were slipping... Carly fell over forty feet and landed in the snow at the edge of the mountain. She hit her head and started to bleed, unconscious upon impact. Carlos, one of the sprites, quickly came bounding through the snow. "Oh no!" he whispered, "I must get the Harvest Goddess." The snow stopped the bleeding quickly, but lowered her temperature minute by minute. It would only be so long before her breathing would stop. Carlos quickly bounded towards Harvest Goddess Cave. Maybe the Goddess could save her before it was too late.

Jaime's eyes snapped open. His wall clock said three in the afternoon. Carly would be in her bed, mourning the loss of her chicken. She would know what it would feel like to go to great lengths to find something you couldn't achieve by yourself. Jaime rubbed his eyes and stood up. He looked out of his window, seeing Carl come up the street. Happily, he knocked on Carly's door. A look of concern came on his face and he scratched his head. He knocked one more time and then started walking towards her barn. Jaime crossed his room and looked out of his back window towards the mountain. He saw a little yellow beam of light at the base of the mountain. What if she had fallen? That would teach her a lesson. But... she couldn't learn anything if she were dead. Jaime suddenly felt scared, like he had done something bad.

Jaime rushed outside and started to run towards the mountain. Carl turned around and saw Jaime running. "Hey!" Carl called out, "Where are you going?" Jaime stopped in his tracks. If Carl saw him going up the mountain by himself and found out that he knew where Carly had been, he would be pegged as the culprit behind the chicken fiasco. Jaime turned around. "I thought I saw something fall from the mountain. I wanted to make sure everything was alright up there." Jaime said. Carl nodded and then seemed to register the possible connection. "Wait!" Carl shouted, "I'll go with you." Jaime waited for Carl and then they both moved up the mountain as fast as they could.

Jaime was the first to arrive. He saw Carly collapsed on the ground, unmoving. Carl soon followed and immediately ran to her side. "Carly!" Carl shouted, "Carly wake up!" Carly's eyes fluttered open. Carl reached out to hug her, but Jaime stopped him. "Don't. She might have a spinal injury." Carly mumbled something, and Carl leaned in close to hear her. "Are they all back? My chickens, are they all there?" Carl started to cry. "What were you doing up here? You could have died?" Jaime knelt down and looked into Carly's eyes, "They're all back. I found one this morning. I asked the ranch if it was theirs, but they said no. So, I put it back in your coop." Jaime said. Carly seemed to be satisfied with the answer. Jaime took off his poncho revealing a black shirt underneath. It clung to his skin as he draped the warm garment over Carly. Carl stroked her face. "We have to move her." Carl said, "She can't stay cold for this long." Jaime nodded, and took Carly into his arms. He stood up and followed Carl back down the mountain.

"Why did she climb a mountain to look for a chicken?" Carl questioned, "That's just stupid. A chicken isn't worth your life." Jaime was unsettled by this side of Carl, but he could understand why he felt protective of her. Carly shuddered in Jaime's arms. "In a manner of speaking, chickens are her life. They're her pets and her providers. She loves them with all she's got. Could you imagine your favorite pet scared and lonely on top of a mountain in the middle of a snowstorm?" Jaime asked. Carl sighed. "I never really liked animals. They're just necessary for cooking, which is another reason Carly is so great. She loves animals so well that her products are the best. She loves the animals, and I would never have to see another animal in order to cook the best sweets I ever have." Jaime huddled Carly closer and walked down the final stretch of the hill leading to the mountain.

"My fire's going. Why don't we head there first?" Jaime suggested. Carl nodded and walked into Jaime's house. Carl moved the couch closer to the fireplace, and Jaime set Carly on it, taking off his cold poncho and grabbing a blanket from his closet. Carl looked around at the place while Jaime draped the blanket over Carly. Jaime felt her head and took out her ponytails so that her hair could dry. Carly was actually pretty cute with her hair down. Jaime walked over to his cabinet and got some herbs for her fever.

"I've never actually seen the inside of this place," Carl said, knocking on his table, "So this is the bachelor pad." Jaime blended the herbs into some juice and then knelt by the couch to feed it to her. "You don't talk much, do you?" Carl asked. Jaime sighed. "I'm just trying to get her well enough to move." Carl sighed and held out his hand. "Here, give me the glass. I'll do it." Jaime continued to do it, before Carl grabbed the glass from his hand. Carl lifted her head and slowly poured the liquid down her throat. Jaime went back to the kitchen and brought a glass of room temperature water. Carl played with Carly's hair with one hand and held her cold hand in the other. "I think she'll be here for awhile..." Carl said, "I'm going to go make her some warm food." Carl hurried out the door, leaving Jamie alone with Carly.

Jaime waited until Carl was far along the road before he knelt down in front of Carly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you for so long." Jaime waited, expecting her to wake up. But, her eyes were still closed. She looked so pale, too pale, as the light from the orange fire danced across her skin. Jaime wondered what it was like to love something so much you would climb a mountain in the snow for it. Jaime slowly reached out and stroked her hair. It had dried quickly, and Jaime was relieved. She seemed to be warming up already. She was starting to regain color now. Jaime noticed the rosiness of her cheeks first, and then realized how long her eyelashes were. "Won't you wake up?" Jaime asked. He reached out and held her hand. It twitched slightly in his grasp, but slowly weaved itself among his fingers. "Your hands are warm." Carly whispered. Jaime held both of her hands in his and gave a small smile. His heart started beating faster. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Jaime quickly dropped his hands and walked over to his door.

As soon as the door clicked open, Carl barged in with a bowl of stew and a piece of cake. He immediately sat down in front of Carly. Carl placed his hand on her shoulder and lightly shook her. Carly's eyes opened. "You look terrible... are you alright?" Carl asked. Carly took a deep breath and tried to sit up. She quickly sank back down onto the couch. Her hand reached up to her head where her hair was matted with blood. "What happened?" Carly asked. Carl shrugged. "I'm sure you'll remember sometime. I don't really know." Carl sighed, "You were mumbling something about chickens." Jaime remembered that her chicken was still in his coop. He walked outside and grabbed Duck from his coop. Duck squawked, but quickly settled down as he took it into the warm house. Jaime walked over to Carly and gave a small smile. "Apparently this was the one you were looking for. Carly gasped and Jaime set it in her lap. Carl cringed away from the creature, laughing nervously. Carly only noticed the chicken in her lap. "Duck... I found you..." Carly whispered. Duck clucked happily in Carly's arms.

Carl stood up and sighed. "Well, it's been quite a day. I think I need to go prepare for tomorrow." Carl said. Carly waved goodbye and Carl left. He left his cake behind, hoping she would remember to eat it. Jaime took Carl's spot in front of Carly and reached for the chicken soup. "You need to eat this so you have strength tomorrow." Jaime said. Carly nodded. She reached out for the spoon, but she couldn't hold it for very long. Jaime ended up feeding her. He saw the cake by his knees, but swiftly nudged it under the couch. The UPB was in progress, and by the end of the month, Carl and Carly's relationship would never be the same.


End file.
